Dog licence inspector having an impact in Kilkenny

The current drive to inspect dog licences in Kilkenny is having an impact, with door-to-door inspections resulting in a rise in the number of licences being purchased here in recent weeks.

The number of valid dog licences in circulation fell from a peak of 7,563 in 2009 to 4,630 in 2016. An outside service was brought in toward the end of last year to carry out inspections, and it’s proving successful — with 1,069 licences issued between October 2019 and mid-February. The revenue generated is to be invested back into dog services and the shelter.

At present, shelter staff are having to make do with a small office and no reception area. Plans are under way to provide a reception area and IT equipment. Landscaping and seats have also been provided to the outside, while opening hours are more consistent.

Rehomed
Some 517 dogs were surrendered or picked up and brought to the pound last year. Of these, 322 were rehomed and 192 reclaimed by owners. Three had to be euthanised due to health problems or aggressive behavioural issues.

At the February meeting of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Andrew McGuinness asked if priority was being given to particular areas that had a lot of complaints or were renowned for non-compliance.

“I believe they should be prioritised before the entire city and county has been called to door-to-door,” he said.

Council senior engineer Frank Stafford confirmed the dog licencse inspector — who operates independently of the dog warden/shelter — would get to nearly everyone. However, some cases require a risk assessment and additional numbers may be required as safety is a priority.

Cllr Tomas Breathnach asked if the council had any idea how many dogs were in the county. Mr Stafford said there were around 35,000 households in Kilkenny, and if a rough estimate was that if one in three had a dog, that was more than 10,000 dogs.

“We are at about 5,500 (licences) now, so well below it,” he said.